his voice, "ought you to let her--Miss Wingate--do such things--so
many things? Are you sure she enjoys it and is not just doing it to
help or because she thinks she ought? Or do you--?"

"Well," interrupted Mother decidedly, "it's my opinion they ain't
nothing in the world so heavy as empty hands. She have had to lay
down a music book and I don't know nothing better to offer than a
butter-paddle and a bread-bowl. It's the feeding of folks that
counts in a woman's life, whether it be songs or just bread and
butter. If Elinory's tunes was as much of a success as her riz
biscuits have come to be, I wisht I could have heard her just onct."

"I did, Mother, the first night she sang in America--and it was very
wonderful. When I think of the great opera house, the lights and the
flowers, the audience mad with joy and the applause and--I--I--
wonder how she stands it!"

"Yes," answered Mother, "I reckon wondering how Eve stood things
muster took Adam's mind offen hisself to a very comforting degree.
Courage was the ingredient the good Lord took to start making a
woman with and it's been a-witnessing his spirit in her ever since.
I oughtn't to have to tell you that."

"You don't," Doctor Tom hastened to answer as he smiled down on
Mother. "I only spoke as I did about Miss Wingate because you see
she is--well, what we would call a very great lady and I wouldn't
have her think that I did not realize that-?"

"Well, you can do as you choose," answered Mother placidly as she
prepared to take her departure to see to the finishing up of the